A fishing lure generally is in the form of a simulated prey for game fish such as a small fish or insect with one or more depending sharp pointed barbed hooks attached to it. The barbed hooks tend to collect weeds and debris when dragged through the water; this renders them ineffective for catching fish. Large debris may cause damage to the fishing rod or break the line. Exposed hooks can cause lacerations when the fishing tackle is being assembled or when the fisherman reaches into his tackle box. The hooks also become entangled in fish line and with other equipment when the tackle container is being moved about.
Lures known in the prior art in which the hooks are concealed within the body of the lure and are designed to be exposed in response to a fish strike exhibit certain deficiencies relating to design complexity and function. Exemplary of the prior art devices of this kind are the type which require a multiplicity of events to occur for actuation--a fish strike and a pull on the fish line to effect ejection of the hook, for example. During such a sequence a striking fish can readily escape. Others, as for example the lure shown in Johns U.S. Pat. No. 1,697,120 issued Jan. 1, 1929 utilize complex linkage structures through which the hooks are triggered. Johns discloses a lever having an exposed portion in the form of a fin which actuates a linkage member; in turn a cam is rotated against the urging of a spring which releases a pair of hooks coupled by an integral coil spring. The articulated linkage assembly involves a number of corrosion susceptable connections, particularly in salt or high mineral content water. The number of parts and assembly increases the cost. Tolerances between the parts or wear can cause idle motion to slow the action permitting the fish to escape. A linearly projected rod having hooks at the end and triggered by an exposed lever is shown in Chandler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,013 issued Jan. 3, 1956. The lever moves with the rod and could become jammed due to a collection of sea weed and debris, thereby preventing ejection of the hooks. Furthermore a strike from the side of the lure would permit the fish to escape. Other known lures with concealed hooks include passive projection types where the concealed hook is not spring urged but merely assumes an external position by gravitational action; yet others include hooks which are continuously biased to concealed position and which project only when the actuating means is depressed. These types tend to be ineffective because upon release by the fish the hook can return to concealed position without engaging the fish.